Saving Me
by Ixcalia
Summary: L and Light have saved each other from there past, present, and futures. And they never even realized it. Yaoi-fluff! Maybe more later!
1. Chapter 1

Well, this is my first Death Note story…be nice! It's a yaoi-fluff story between L and Light. Maybe there will be a lemon in the last chapter. We'll have to see! Well, here it is.

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, nor will I ever!

Chapter 1: Childhood

This couldn't be happening. It seemed like it happened only seconds ago. His parents murdered, him being questioned by so many strangers, being told that he couldn't return home, and finally the news that he was being sent to an orphanage. Empty, black eyes slowly glanced up at the black gate of their new home. The black eyes began to glimmer, tears slowly welling up in the corners of them. Black hair slowly fell over the eyes, shielding them from the rest of the world, just as his mind was doing to his heart. The pain was unbearable. It had to be done. He would force his mind to shield his heart from the rest of the world, never to be opened again…

L Lawliet slowly moved one of his hands to his face and wiped the tears from his eyes. His opposite hand was currently occupied, holding the hand of an older gentleman. Watari held an umbrella over L and himself, shielding them both from the cold snow that fluttered down from the sky. The sky was a dark shade of grey, no light to be seen. That's exactly how L felt. His parents were the only light in his life and the only people who could make that light grow. It was as if the light inside of him had been put out by the blood of the very people who had made the light shine so brightly. Now, there was nothing that could reignite it. It was too wet and would never dry.

Watari glanced down at the five year old. He hadn't said anything since they had left his old home behind. Most children would cry and fuss and scream. Anything they could do to be returned home, they would do it. There were cases that the children had killed themselves because some one had told them that their parents were in heaven and that someone needed to be dead in order to go there. These cases were few, but still weighed heavily on all of the children at Wammy's House.

"Shall we go in…?" Watari asked reluctantly. The boy didn't make a move. Watari sighed and pushed the gates open.

L's eyes glanced at the gates. He jerked his head up in attention as they were pushed open, the scarf around his neck fluttering at the sudden movement. L suddenly felt cold. A strong wind pushed against his small, frail body. He began to feel sick. He felt so vulnerable, so breakable. It was a foreign and unwanted feeling. Everything began to spin. No! He didn't want to be here! He jerked his hand free from Watari and ran in the opposite direction as fast as his little legs could carry him. Watari called out to him in vain. The boy wasn't going to stop for anything.

& & & & &

Five year old, Light Yagami held onto his fathers hand tightly as he crossed the street quickly. He had a heavy, brown coat on to protect him from the cold weather, however, his nose was turning red and his cheeks a slight pink. He had his free hand in the pocket of his coat while his father gripped his other. Here Light was in London. He was on vacation with his family, the last one that he would have for a long time.

Soichiro Yagami tugged on his son's arm to get his attention as he stepped up onto the sidewalk. Light looked down at the curb and quickly hopped onto the sidewalk with a big smile aimed up at his father. Soichiro smiled back at him and continued on his way to the 1hotel that his family was staying at.

Light frowned when he heard a commotion from up ahead. People were screaming and yelling over the noise of sirens. He looked around worriedly as people ahead of him and his father began to part in panic. A single man wearing a mask over his face ran through the opening of people, a sack over his shoulders and a gun waving frantically. He was yelling at people to get out of his way, a police car on the road carefully following his movements. The police didn't dare fire a gun with how close the people were to the criminal. The man cursed at the police angrily, still running through the crowd.

The man's eyes suddenly landed on Light as he broke through the crowd of people. Without a second thought, the man scooped Light up and yanked him away from his father. He placed his forearm against Light's throat and held him tightly against his chest. Light coughed at the force the arm had wrapped around him, putting his hands against the man's arm fearfully. He looked up at the man, his soft, brown eyes holding no emotion other than fear. The man pushed the barrel of the gun against Light's temple. Soichiro could do nothing as the man glanced at everyone in paranoia, the police more than others.

"Stop following me!" the man yelled at the two cops that sat uselessly in the car. "If you don't stay where you are, I'm going to pull the trigger and put the brat out of his misery! I'd be doing him a favor you know? This world isn't any place for a kid! I won't even hesitate to pull the damned trigger!"

"D-daddy!" Light yelled fearfully. He was so scared. What was wrong with this man? Light had never even met him before. Surely the guy didn't hold a grudge against him?

"Light…just stay calm. It's going to be okay," Soichiro murmured. He showed nothing but calmness and confidence, but on the inside, he was shaking. Was this it for his son? What could he do to save him? He had no weapon and rushing at the man blindly could only end in disaster.

The man began to walk away, back never turning to the police or Soichiro. Light squirmed fearfully and tried to push the man's arm away from his neck, all in vain. The man was to strong for a little five year old. He couldn't do anything to save himself and he didn't want the police to try. He didn't want to die!

The man stared at everyone, his movements stopping. He glanced around nervously before he turned, grip on Light still strong, and sprinted around the corner. The police just sat there. They didn't want to be responsible for a child's death. The cop in the driver side, quickly began to radio for help. The cop in the passenger's side quickly got out and grabbed Soichiro. He was getting ready to go after his son.

"Let go of me! I have to get my son!" Soichiro yelled. The man shook his head and held him firmly.

"The man's desperate! If you go after him, he won't think twice before he pulls that trigger! Is that what you want?"

Soichiro clenched his fist and lowered his head. The cop was right. He couldn't do anything. He'd have to depend on the police if he wanted to get his son back.

Light squirmed and kicked as he was taken further and further away from his father. Light was sure he was almost two miles away already with how quickly the man was running. After a few more minutes, the man came to a stop, but not in the way Light had been hoping.

Light let out a loud 'oof' as he was finally released, skidding across the sidewalk painfully. He quickly sat up and pulled his pant leg away from his knee, groaning when he saw blood quickly welling up. It was a deep cut, but he'd live. He quickly pulled his pant leg down and looked back at the man.

The man was cursing loudly as he quickly tried to shove all of the money back in the sack that he had been carrying. He glanced at Light and sneered.

"Get out of here kid. I don't need you anymore!"

Light didn't need to be told twice. He quickly stood up and turned to run in the direction his father was, but as soon as he stepped down, he was on the ground again. He sighed and looked at here he had stepped. He was now lying across a boy with shaggy black hair and equally black eyes. They were hollow and empty, no emotion showing. Light shuddered when he noticed.

"I'm sorry," he murmured to the boy. The boy said nothing, but simply looked up to meet his gaze. Light just sighed and quickly got off of the boy. He stood up and held his hand out for the boy. "Let me help you up."

L stared at the hand that was being offered to him. He slowly, reluctantly, reached up and gripped the offered hand. Light smiled at him and pulled him up. L just stared at him with a slight curiosity.

"I'm really sorry for tripping over you. I didn't see you there." Light murmured, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. L seemed unsure and reluctant.

"You're welcome…" came the soft voice. Light seemed surprised, but smiled more.

"Get out of the way!" the man hissed as he shoved pass L, almost shoving him back to the ground. The man had finished picking up the money and was now once again on his tirade of escape.

L stumbled and waved his arms out to catch himself. He felt a hand grab his arm and yank him back to a balanced position. He blinked at Light in surprise. He had never known a kid his age or of any age that was kind to him. This was the first…

"Why did you catch me…?" L asked in his soft voice. Light blinked and stared.

"Well, that man just kidnapped me from my father. You were the one who tripped him, right? Well, that's the only reason that the man let me go so soon. You saved me."

L pushed his thumb against his bottom lip in thought. Sure, he had run into the guy on accident, and the man had tripped over his small form and let go of Light. But did that really count as saving the boy?

"Besides, it wouldn't be nice to let you fall if I could help it. So I saved you to make us even." Light smiled at the pale boy in front of him.

"You…saved me?"

Well, here is the first chapter of Saving Me. I hope you all liked it!


	2. Chapter 2

Just a quick comment. I know that I'm not following the story line necessarily. I know that a lot of people don't like that. I am following to an extent. This is the warning for those who don't like it when people don't follow the story line exactly! Well, here is the second chapter of Saving Me. Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Why?

L could do nothing but stare at Light. He had saved him? How did catching him before he had a small fall qualify as saving him? And how had he saved Light? Light had said that the man, who was now out of sight, had taken him away from his father. It was just by chance that the man had ran into little L as he ran from the Wammy's House. It was a coincidence. Why did this boy, standing in front of L, with a big smile on his face, think that L had saved him based on a coincidence?

"I don't understand," L murmured. Light cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"What do you mean? What don't you understand?" Light asked. The boy was strange, but there was something about him that he liked. He wasn't quite sure what it was. The boy had abnormally pale skin, dark black hair, and dead, hollow, black eyes. He was the perfect vision of death, ready to take the soul of an unlucky victim. So what was it that he liked about this boy?

"You said before that I saved you…and then you said that you saved me by catching a hold of my arm before I had a small fall. Isn't saving a person supposed to be an accomplishment? Like, saving a life perhaps? How was it that I saved you when I simply ran into the man who had kidnapped you? It was a complete accident. So how…?" L trailed off, too confused with the boy's meaning of savior.

"Well," Light ran a small hand through his silky, caramel colored hair. He bit his lip softly, trying to think of an explanation he could give the boy. "You see, I don't think saving a person has to be something as big as saving a life…it can be a small deed, like me catching you or you accidentally running into that guy. You're the only reason I'm standing here right now. It may have been an accident, but that doesn't change the fact that it happened. So, whether you meant to or not, you saved me." Light nodded at his own words, sure that he had chose the correct words to make his point. "I guess it really depends on what your view of 'saving' someone is."

L bit the tip of his thumb gently. He supposed that it made sense. He glanced at the boy nervously.

"Well, thank you for saving me then…" L let a small, almost unnoticeable smile slip through.

Light grinned. "You're welcome." He held his hand out and smiled at the boy once more. "My name is Light Yagami."

L stared at the offered hand and slowly gripped it. He shook the hand lightly and his smile widened. "I'm L."

Light blinked at the simple name, surprised that he didn't mention a last name. He shrugged it off, however. It didn't matter. If L wanted him to know his last name, he would have told him. Light pulled his hand away and smiled.

"Right…you wouldn't happen to know where the nearest hotel is, would you? I know that the man didn't carry me that far away." Light sighed and looked around. He had no idea where he was.

L looked around. He knew exactly where they were. This was his home town after all. "I believe that the closest hotel is this way, come on." L began to walk in the direction Light had been carried from.

L glanced back at Light, being sure that he was following him. Light was a welcome distraction from his current misery. Light was the complete opposite of him. He had tanned skin, was well dressed, and looked much cleaner. It wasn't that L didn't clean himself. He bathed daily as most people did. He just didn't care about appearance. He preferred to stay inside and read or be read to. It didn't matter anymore. He would never have the chance to listen to his father read to him with his deep, comforting voice or hear his mother sing him to sleep with her soft, sweet voice.

Light stared at L's back. He seemed to be deep in thought. Light sighed. He wanted to break the silence between them, but how? He immediately asked the first question that came to mind.

"So L, where's your parents? I find it hard to believe that they were letting you run around in the city all alone." Light stared curiously at L.

L tensed up and jerked to a stop. What was he going to say? He knew what had happened and where his parents were. Could he really just say it though? If he told Light what had happened, would that be giving up? Would that be admitting that he would never see his parents again? He slowly turned to Light, eyes expressionless and face relaxed.

"My parents? They were recently…murdered." L's voice was calm, but there was an icy edge in it that made Light quiver.

"Oh, I'm really sorry…I would have never asked had I known. I'm so sorry." Light let a look of guilt cover his face. It was a bad start to a conversation. L continued to stare at him with a blank expression, before turning away and beginning to walk once more.

"It's okay. You didn't know." L glanced back and gave a very slight smile. "I'm supposed to be at an orphanage right now, but I ran off. I just really want to go home. I'm not interested in being anywhere else."

Light nodded slowly, still following close behind L. He felt horrible for bringing up the subject of his parents. L just spoke about them so calmly, like losing your parents was an everyday thing. It was sad to know that L could just stay calm.

"I'm sure you'll be happy at the orphanage. It may be hard for a while, but I'm sure you'll get used to it quick. I'm sure things will be okay." Light sighed. His words of comfort sounded pathetic.

L stopped once more. All this time…everyone had only questioned him. He was asked about what he had seen the night his parents were killed. He was asked what the man looked like. He was asked to stay calm. He was asked to take a test. The only thing that he wasn't asked was if he wanted to stay home. Never once was he offered any form of comfort. No one had apologized for his loss. Then, there was this one boy that he had just met. He was the only one.

"I'm sorry…I should just keep my mouth shut. I'm not trying to upset you…" Light sighed nervously as the boy stared at him from the corner of his eye.

L turned so that he was facing Light. He took a step closer to him and stared into his soft, brown eyes. He felt a wet line tickle his cheek.

Light gasped as he noticed a tear slide down L's cheek. Oh, he felt so horrible. He didn't mean to make him cry. He should have just dropped the subject when L told him that his parents were dead. He shouldn't have let it drag on. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off.

"Don't be sorry, Light. You're the first person who's even bothered to try to make me feel better. What's strange is, you are the only one…and I'm feeling better. If only slightly, it's better than how I was feeling. Maybe…you just saved me again?" L felt more tears well up in his eyes. The sting was painful and he couldn't hold it in anymore.

Light gasped as he felt thin arms wrap around him. He could feel L's uneven breathing against his chest, the boy obviously trying not to sob. His shirt began to feel damp as little L's tears soaked into it. Light slowly raised his arms and wrapped them around L in return. He began to gently rub his back with one hand, trying to provide a source of comfort.

"I guess I did…" Light smiled softly.

"Thank you…" L sobbed.

Well, there's chapter 2. Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews!

Chapter 3: Separation

Light continued to rub L's back as L let himself go. He sobbed shamelessly, clutching to Light's shirt tightly. Each harsh sob that L released, he could feel a weight lift from his fragile heart. He felt humiliated to be seeking comfort from a child that he had met only minutes ago, but he was also thankful that he had literally stumbled upon this stranger. It was just what he needed to let himself lose. He was feeling much better. He felt prepared to accept that he could never return home.

Light glanced down at the boy, relieved when he noticed the sobs beginning to die down. He kept his arms around him, however, determined to keep the boy comforted. It was the least he could do for upsetting him. He watched as L pulled away slowly, using his long, white sleeve to rub his eyes and nose.

"I'm sorry," L sniffled. "I didn't mean to break down like that…I just miss them…"

"I can't say that I understand what you're going through, but I do know that I'd be really sad if my parents, well, you know." Light looked away, not wanting to bring the subject up again.

"It's okay. I understand." L rubbed his eyes once more. "Come on, I should get you home. I'm sure your parents are worried." L stared glanced down and grabbed Light's small hand in his own.

Light smiled at their linked hands and nodded in response. He gripped L's hand back and, for the third time, began to follow L to the hotel that him and his parents were staying.

& & & & &

The officer reluctantly knocked on the door of the hotel room that Soichiro and his wife, Sachiko, waited anxiously for news of their son. The door flew open after the first knock, Soichiro staring at the officer hopefully.

"P-please, come in." Soichiro stood aside, allowing the officer to step inside. "Have you found my son?"

The officer looked from Soichiro to Sachiko, frowning at the sobbing woman. He bit his lip and turned away from both of them.

"Well, I hate to be the one to tell you this…the man was caught, but your son is nowhere to be found. The man's name is Seth Robinson. He came from the U.S. a few years ago, but he lost his family in a plane crash. He lost his job afterwards, and not long after, his home. He had just robbed a bank when he snatched your son. When we found him though, as I said, your son wasn't there. Robinson refuses to tell us where he is or what may have happened to him. I'm very sorry. We have men looking for your son right now, however. I promise you, we will find him." The officer looked back at them, sighing as the woman's sobs became louder.

Soichiro lowered his head, his fingers curling to make fists. How could he have allowed this to happen? He slowly went over and wrapped his arms around his wife. He laid his chin atop her head, frowning as sobs racked her body.

"I'm sorry Sachiko. I'm sorry that I let this happen. I'll find him…I don't care if I have to stay in England for years or check of every corner of Europe, I will find Light." Soichiro softly soothed Sachiko's hair back and kissed her atop the head.

A small knock rang through the ears of the occupants. Soichiro stared at the door, frowning at the interruption. He didn't want to be disturbed any longer. He slowly let go of his wife and walked over to the door. He looked out the peephole, frowning when he didn't see anyone, yet the knocking continued. He unlocked the door and gripped the doorknob, twisting it and letting the door creak open.

Light stared with wide eyes, as the door slowly swung open, revealing his father's face. His eyes lit up happily. He lunged at his father, jumping high enough to wrap is tiny arms around his neck. He nuzzled him happily, tears welling up in his eyes. Soichiro's eyes were wide at the sudden impact. He wrapped his arms tightly around Light's small body. He rubbed his son's back, a large smile on his face. He glanced at the door, getting ready to shut it, when a fluff of black hair caught his eye.

L stared up at Soichiro shyly, eyes wide and thumb in his mouth. His teeth were lightly grinding against his thumb in a nervous habit. He lowered his hollow eyes to the floor, refusing to meet Soichiro's gaze. He shifted uncomfortably, noticing all attention being shifted to him. Light seemed to notice his nervousness.

"Daddy, mommy, this is L. He ran into the man that took me. That's how I sort of got away! He tripped over L and dropped me. Then, L brought me here. He saved me twice!" Light smiled at L and motioned him inside. L hesitantly stepped into the room, looking around with wide eyes.

"Is that so?" Soichiro murmured. He stared at little L with kind eyes. He gently sat Light down and knelt down in front of L. "Thank you so much for bringing my son back to me. You don't know how much this means to us"

L stared at Soichiro blankly, a small smile slowly forming. "You're welcome. I'm glad that I met Light."

"It seems you made a new friend Light." Sachiko wiped her eyes with a small smile. She picked Light up and hugged him tightly. "I'm glad you did. You may have never made your way home otherwise."

Soichiro smiled at L once more. "Well, I'm very grateful for what you've done for us. We may have never found Light if it wasn't for you. Now, we can return home as planned."

Light frowned at this information. He wasn't ready to go home yet! He had made a new friend and wanted to stay awhile longer so that he could get to know him better. Surely L needed more comfort. Who was going to comfort him if he left? L said so himself that he was the only one who had even tried. Light watched as L lowered his head and turned away.

"Oh, I see. Well, I suppose you should all get going then. It was nice meeting you all." L glanced at Light with a sad smile. "Especially you Light. Thank you for, um, saving me I suppose."

Light's eyes watered as he stared at his new friend. He had just met him and now he was leaving? He shook his head. "L? Where are you going to go? I thought you didn't want to go to the orphanage!"

Soichiro stared at L. "You're from an orphanage? Well, do they have any idea where you are?"

"No! L ran off! He doesn't want to live there! He wants to go home, but they won't let him…" Light lowered his head and rubbed his eyes with his coat sleeve.

"Is that so? L, would you like a ride back? I'm sure I could manage." Soichiro stared at the boy with sympathy.

"It's okay. I wouldn't want to make you all late. I know my way back." L turned to all of them once more and bowed respectfully. "You have a very nice family and an exceptional son. I hope you take good care of him. He's a very special person."

Soichiro seemed taken aback by L vocabulary. "If I may ask, how old are you?"

L finally pulled his thumb from his mouth. "I'm five, sir."

Soichiro seemed shocked, but didn't say anything more. He was only five years old, yet a very bright person. It reminded him a lot of Light.

"Well, if you think you can make it back by yourself, we should really be going. We're going to miss our flight if we don't hurry. The cab's waiting." Soichiro grabbed a suitcase that was still in the room and walked out the door.

Sachiko frowned at the plain sadness on the faces of her son and the little boy. She shifted Light in her arms and grabbed L's small hand in hers. "How would you like to see us off?"

L looked up at her sadly. "I'd like that…"

Sachiko led the small boy down to the lot, carrying her son the entire way. She stopped at the door and sat her son down. "I'm going to help your father, Light. Why don't you say goodbye?" Without waiting for an answer, she stepped outside to help her husband pack the rest of the bags.

Light stared at the floor for a moment before lifting his eyes to meet L's. "I wish I didn't have to go yet. It was nice to make a friend and, well, I wanted to get to know you better. I wish there was a way I could keep in contact with you."

L gently ran his thumb over his bottom lip. "I know the address of the orphanage, and I'm sure you know your address. Maybe we could send each other letters."

Light's eyes lit up at the idea, eyes wide with thought. "Yeah! We could stay in touch and learn more about each other. And, when I get old enough, I'll come back here by myself so that I can meet you again!"

L smiled softly. "That does sound nice. I'll be sure to wait for you, and if I move, I'll make sure to tell you."

Light went over to the reception desk, asking kindly for two pieces of paper and a pen. The lady smiled at him and handed the requested objects to him. Light scurried back over and wrote his address on one of the papers and handed it to L. L stared at the paper, quickly pocketing it, and giving Light the address of the orphanage. Light hurriedly scribbled it down and shoved the paper in his pocket.

"I promise, I'll write you a letter as soon as I get home." Light smiled as he returned after giving the pen back to the receptionist.

L gave one of his shy smiles, slowly pulling his thumb away from his lip. He reached his arms over and hugged Light tightly. "At least I won't lose you, right?"

Light blinked and put his arms around the boy in return. "Of course not. It may take a long time, but we will meet again. And when we do, we can be really good friends and do everything together. With the letters, it will be like we never separated. After all, we haven't known each other very long and I already feel like you're the best friend I'll ever have."

L stared up at him with wide eyes. "I feel the same way." he murmured.

"Light, come along. We have to get to the airport before our flight leaves." Soichiro watched as the two boys reluctantly moved apart.

"I suppose." Light slowly stuck his hand in his pocket, being sure to feel that the paper was there. He walked over to Soichiro and grabbed his hand. "Bye L. I'll write to you as much as possible."

L nodded slowly. "Bye Light. I'll do the same, I promise."

Soichiro slowly lifted his son into the cab, getting in afterwards. He glanced at L and smiled sadly. "I'll be sure that Light writes to you. Thank you again."

L nodded once more, watching as Soichiro closed the door. The cab began to slowly pull away, but L could see Light looking out the back window with tears in his eyes. Light waved slowly to him, obviously trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. L waved back, eyes watering to the point in blinded him.

Light watched as L waved back to him. He could see his eyes begin to shine with unshed tears. Light continued to wave, until L was no longer in sight, however, just before he could no longer see little L, he saw an older man with an umbrella walk up behind him, laying a comforting hand on the pale boy's shoulder.


	4. Chapter 4

Yay! I'm so happy that some people are enjoying my story. I hope I can keep your attention until I'm done with it!

Chapter 4: Unknown

Seventeen year old, Light Yagami skimmed the letter from his friend. After twelve years, he and L had continued to write to one another. The name L was a thing of the past, L now being known simply as Lawliet. Light never remembered him having a different name. The name L was a distant memory, tossed aside and never to be remembered.

"It says there that he's coming to Japan for awhile, but he's not saying why. Is it normal that he keeps things from you?" the Shinigami known as Ryuk asked, his constant grin seeming to grow wider.

"Lawliet moves all over the place. I questioned him once, but he said that he didn't want to talk about it. I'll leave it alone until he wants to tell. It's not fair for me to get into his personal business." Light skimmed the letter once more, a small smile on his face.

Ryuk let out a throaty laugh, glancing at the letter once more. "He's close enough that you could go visit him. You haven't seen him in a long time, right? Now's the perfect time."

"It's true. I haven't seen Lawliet since I left England twelve years ago. It's all because he ran into the criminal that snatched me from my father. It's almost enough to make me question my goal as Kira." Light smirked and glanced at the Death Note. "Then again, when I think about that, I also think about what Lawliet told me about his parents. They were murdered and he was sent to an orphanage. If I'm lucky, maybe I've already killed the person who killed his parents."

"Hahaha! It's not like you'll ever know. This Lawliet doesn't even know who killed them. He was never found, was he?" Ryuk glanced at Light.

"I don't think so, but, it's as I said, if I'm lucky." Light sat the letter down and grabbed the Death Note. "I've avenged so many people, passing my righteous judgment. It drives me on more knowing that I may have avenged that miserable little boy that I seen all those years ago. It's all thanks to this." Light held the Death Note up and stared at it with a maniacal glint in his eyes. "Lawliet, if only I could tell you that you are the one who's driven me on. Even when I begin to get doubtful of what I'm doing, all I have to do is think of the tears in your eyes. You were just a child who was taken from his parents because a person had the nerve to kill them. I'll do whatever it takes to make this world a better place for everyone, especially you. Lawliet, you are my motivation."

& & & & &

"What is his motivation?" L grumbled. He had his thumb in his mouth, biting it softly as his thoughts raced. "Kira, to kill all of the criminals in the world, what do you hope to gain from it? A peaceful world? No, even you should know that it's not possible. There will always be criminals. There will always be someone doing wrong in your eyes. You will rid the world of the entire population until you are the only one remaining. Then, Kira, you will be the only criminal left in the empty world." L narrowed his eyes and he lowered his right hand, grabbing his cell phone with his index finger and thumb. He flipped it open and pressed the one, holding the phone close to his ear in his peculiar way.

"Yes sir?" came the elderly voice from the other end.

"Watari? Tell the NPA that I will assist them in the case of Kira. It has…caught my interest at the very least."

"Of course sir. I'm on my way now." L listened as the phone clicked, signaling the end of the call.

L shoved the phone in his pocket, his left thumb never leaving his mouth. He gently rested his forearms on his knees, his knees pulled close to his chest. His shaggy black hair covered his black eyes, along with the dark circles beneath them. His face turned blank, void of emotion, as he became lost in his thoughts.

& & & & &

Light leaned back in his chair, lying his pen down by the Death Note. He stared at all the names with a look pride and malice. He took a deep breath and closed the notebook in content. He picked the pen back up and took the cartridge from it. He carefully placed it in the bottom of the drawer and opened the secret compartment that he had made. Placing the Death Note carefully inside, he pulled the cartridge away and closed the drawer.

"Well, didn't you do quite a bit tonight? What got you all riled up?" Ryuk was sitting on Light's bed, long arms hanging between his equally long legs. He stared at Light with his Shinigami Eyes, a small laugh escaping his throat.

Light stared up at the ceiling, once again leaning back in his chair. "You know, Ryuk? I don't even remember what Lawliet looks like. I should see if I can visit him some time while he's in the area."

Light sat up straight and grabbed a pencil from the cup on his desk. He ripped a piece of paper from a notebook and began to write. Ryuk grinned more.

"Hahaha, that look in your eyes. It's the same look of determination you get when writing in the Death Note. To know that you have more passion for a single person than you do when it comes to writing names in the Death Note, maybe you're in love, Light. Hahaha!"

Ryuk's short rant fell on empty ears, however. Light stared at the paper, obviously deep in thought. The pencil in his hand moved quickly as Light wrote blindly, not caring what he said. He just wanted to see Lawliet again. He had waited long enough.

& & & & &

"Sir, I just received a letter for you. It's from Light." Watari walked over, handing the envelope to L. L took the letter with his index finger and thumb.

"Thank you Watari." L quickly opened the letter, skimming over it with wide, curious eyes.

'Lawliet

It's been so long since we've seen one another. The only way we've been able to keep in touch has been from writing. I don't even remember what your face looks like. The only aspect of you that I remember from those twelve years ago was your black eyes. They're hard to forget. I'm sure that your memory of me is vague as well. Then again, you are a genius. You may remember much more than I. Lawliet, since you are in my area of Japan, I propose that we meet once more. I miss you, as strange as it is to say. I'd really like to see you again so that I can keep your face in my memory. I know that sounds strange, but I hate not remembering what my best friend looks like. If you are unable to meet me, I understand. It's simply a proposition. I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Light Yagami'

L stared at the paper with wide eyes. Could he really show his face to Light? He had been living in secret for so long. No one knew his face except for a select few.

"What should I do?" L murmured. He released the paper and stuck his thumb between his teeth. "Hmm…"


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for all of the reviews. I appreciate them, and the more reviews I get, the more motivated I am to update quicker.

Chapter 5: Rejection

L sighed as he signed the letter that would soon be sent to Light. He had thought hard about his response to Light after the request he received. He wanted to see Light as well. It had taken a few days, but he had come to his decision. He only hoped that he had made the right one. L sealed the letter in an envelope and held it up with his right hand.

"Watari? Will you please mail this, immediately if you could?" L handed the letter over to Watari with a look of doubt, but he face quickly returned to the impassable blockade that it always was.

"I'll mail it right now. L, you have seemed distracted these past few days. Did something maybe happen to Light Yagami?" Watari put the letter in his pocket and stared at L worriedly.

"No, Light is fine. He was wondering if I would meet him since it has been so long since we've seen one another. You know Watari? I believe that Tuesday of next week will make it thirteen years." L glanced at a cup a tea that was sitting near him. He slowly grabbed a handful of sugar cubes and placed them in his tea. "Thirteen cubes for thirteen years."

"L, what was your decision? Are you going to meet him?" Watari stared at him with slightly wide eyes. Was L going to show himself in public?

"Please mail the letter and then meet with the Task Force. There is something important I would like to speak to them about." L held the cup to his lips and took a quick sip.

"Yes sir. I'll be quick." Watari grabbed his trench coat and hat, quickly putting them on, and left without another word.

"Let's hope I made the right choice Light." L sat his cup down and began to examine a stack of papers. "So your father is on the Task Force? You never mentioned that before. Well, I suppose I never asked what your father did for a living." L dropped the papers to the floor, staring at the picture of Light that was given. "Maybe your father can help me. We will consider it payback for what I did thirteen years ago."

&

"Hehehehe. It's been nearly a week since you sent that letter to L. He sure is taking his time to respond." Ryuk cackled as Light sat at the dinner table.

"Dad's not home again today. This case he's working on must be really big." Sayu Yagami gave a look of disappointment. "It would be nice if dad could get home for dinners. Then we could have the whole family around the table. We could all spend a nice, quiet evening together."

"Sayu," Light glanced at his little sister. "No one's going to get any piece with you chewing your food and talking at the same time. Can't you be a little more proper at the table?" Light chuckled as Sayu gave him a dirty look. However, she chewed her food without saying another word.

"Please don't fight at the table you two." Sachiko sat her plate down and sat herself beside Sayu.

The rest of the dinner was uneventful. The three of them ate, Sayu occasionally saying something that she had heard about Kira. To these rumors and facts, Light listened intently.

"Why do you seem so interested in Kira?" Sayu asked when she noticed her big brother's attentiveness.

"Well, I've been following the Kira case closely. Any bit of information on it is useful, even if some of it's not true. All rumors have to start with a fact. After all, you know that I want to be a detective. I see no harm in practicing with the Kira case." Light stood up with his empty plate and sat it in the sink.

"I guess I should have figured. You're not even in college yet, and here you are, already studying!" Sayu made a disgusted face at that.

"Maybe you should follow my example and study algebra." Light chuckled as he made his way to his room.

"No way!"

Light shut his door behind him and locked it. Ryuk went straight to his bed and sat down, slouched as always.

"Hehehe. No letters from Lawliet and now you have this L character coming after you. What are you going to do?" Ryuk's shoulders shook with laughter as he watched Light open the Death Note.

"Well, Lawliet, I can wait for. I can be patient with him. But this L character, I have a little challenge for him. Let's see how good a detective he really is."

&

L nibbled on his thumb as he stared at the picture of Light that was provided. He stared, never blinking, at every detail of the boy.

"He has changed in appearance. This is him, however. Thank you Watari." L sat the picture of Light down beside a plate of cake that was placed for him. "What did you say to get this picture?"

Watari seemed to look guilty. "I'm sorry L. You seemed so occupied by the letter that Light sent a few days ago, I decided that I should try to get something to take your mind off of the letter. I simply told Light's father that you wished to have one picture of every family member. Of course, I told him that this went for every Task Force member."

L glanced at Watari with his dark eyes. His face, as always, was devoid of any emotion. He slowly looked away and glanced back at the picture. "Well, thank you Watari. This was, well, very kind of you."

"Well, there is another reason why I did this, L." Watari sighed and poured a cup of tea for L. "I don't think you should show yourself to him. You shouldn't appear in public. If your identity were to get out to Kira and he knew what you looked like, he wouldn't hesitate to kill you. Light will speak your name in public. It is too dangerous for you L."

"Watari, I appreciate your worry for my safety, but it is not needed. First of all, Light only knows me as Lawliet. He doesn't know my last name and Kira will need that to kill me. Secondly, well, we will meet soon enough, just not in the way Light intended." L picked up the plate with his cake.

Watari sat the cup of tea next to L with a small bowl of sugar cubes. "What do you mean? How will you meet if not by an arranged meeting?"

"You will see soon enough."

&

"I can't believe this…he doesn't want to see me?" Light gripped the paper tightly in hand.

"Hey, it says that he can't due to his occupation. What are you getting so worked up about? It's not like it's his fault." Ryuk laughed quietly. This was so amusing. Watching Light get worked up like he had just been rejected by someone after asking for a date, it was hilarious.

"That's not the point. I wanted nothing more than to see Lawliet. I've been waiting patiently…and this is what I waited for. I waited for a letter that simply says that he can't see me." Light crumbled the letter up and tossed it in the trash. He sat on his bed heavily, letting his hair fall over his eyes. "I shouldn't have got my hopes up. It's not Lawliet's fault."

"Hehehe, or maybe Lawliet is just looking for an excuse so that he doesn't have to see you. Maybe his friendship with you was just something for him to do in his spare time. Either that, or something to get his mind off of his misery. You're just being used." Ryuk laughed hysterically.

Light's shoulders began to shake with anger. He looked up at Ryuk with a dark look, one that even quieted the always laughing shinigami.

"You…SHUT UP YOU DAMNED SHINIGAMI!" Light gritted his teeth, watching as Ryuk jumped away nervously.

"Hey, I'm just giving my opinion. That's sure what it seems like to me. No need to get all angry." Ryuk held his hands up defensively.

Light stood and walked over to his desk. He quickly grabbed the Death Note and a pen. He sat down heavily and began to write name after name. He didn't stop once, not even when the sun began to shine into his room.

Well, there is chapter 5. I hope you all like it. I hope those of you who read and don't review begin to review. I might wait much longer to update. It's very motivating when I get a lot of reviews. I hope you all consider reviewing! And once again, to those of you who do review, thank you very much.


	6. Chapter 6

Once again, nice amount of reviews, but I wish that those of you who read and don't review would leave one, even if it's short. It makes me want to update quicker when you do. So please, review, even if you simply say that you like it. I appreciate it. Thanks to those of you who review.

Chapter 6: Frustration

"Hmmm," L stared at a report that he had received of the most recent deaths. The deaths seemed to have doubled from what they usually were. "Something seems to have upset Kira, but what could it have been? Maybe he's finally losing his nerve. Or, maybe he's trying to play with me. Either way, it will not go unpunished. However, if something did happen to anger Kira, what would have worked him up this much? Did I do something, or was it a more personal matter?" L narrowed his eyes and tossed the papers away from him. He stood up, walked over to the window that was in his current hotel room, and looked up to the sky. The stars seemed to shine brighter than even the moon. To L, the moon was Kira and the stars were the members of the Task Force. They were slowly closing in on Kira, and would soon have him trapped with no hope of escape. He would outshine Kira and Kira's light would soon go out.

"Watari, the news of the FBI agents that died, each one died of heart attacks, correct?" L continued to stare out the window, seeing Watari's reflection clearly. Watari seemed startled at the sudden sound and almost spilled the tea that he was pouring. He should have known that it was coming though. L had asked the same thing each day since it had happened, as if hoping that something else would come up.

"Yes, each one of them died of heart attacks. I'm currently waiting on the full reports. I also have news that there are very few people left in the Task Force. They have either been frightened away by Kira, or they wanted out after getting the news of the FBI agents. They now doubt that you have any trust in them, and therefore do not trust you. There is a handful left, however." Watari sat the cup of tea down on a stand beside the chair the L usually sat at. "Perhaps it is time for you to meet with them."

L remained silent, still staring towards the stars. He slowly raised his hand, putting his thumb carefully into his mouth. Biting it softly, he turned to Watari and looked at him expressionlessly. "It is worrisome, Watari."

Watari seemed startled at the statement, and his eyes widened slightly. It wasn't often that something worried L, and it was bothersome to know that he would actually voice it. "What is worrisome? Is something bothering you, L?"

"Well, two things. One, Kira is obviously angry about something, most likely something personal. Just because something has upset him in his personal life, he killed twice as many criminals than he usually would. Two each hour compared with his one each hour. That is bad enough, but this has gone on for two days now. Something has Kira obviously worked up. The second thing is that Light hasn't responded to me and my mind has been clouded, thinking of Light this entire time. I'm hoping that I didn't upset Light too much, but he has yet to respond to my letter. So, obviously he's upset as well. Light would have received that letter two days ago. Can you make a connection, Watari?" L went to his chair and sat down, picking up his tea cup with his index finger and thumb. He carefully sipped at it, shaking his head. Picking up a handful of sugar cubes, he dropped them carelessly into his cup, ignoring the tea splattering in every direction.

Watari stared at L curiously, trying to figure what he was getting at. His eyes widened as realization struck. "You can't possibly mean…?"

"Watari, Raye Penber was keeping an eye on Light's family at the time. Light is obviously angry with me, maybe not me, but he is obviously upset. Kira is somehow getting information from Task Force Headquarters and Light's father is the head of the Task Force. Light is a smart boy, and it wouldn't be hard for him to hack his father's computer to get the necessary information." L took another sip of tea, afterwards setting the cup down harshly on the stand. "It is only a one percent chance…yes, only one percent…for Light's sake."

Watari frowned, sitting down on a couch nearby. "L, if it is Light, it is your job to bring him to justice. I will leave it at that and trust your judgment. However, for your sake, I hope that Light is not Kira, no matter what evidence may say."

L lowered his head, his hair covering his eyes. "I understand that is my job to bring Kira to justice. It is not my job to falsely accuse. I will not honestly say that it is Light until the chances reach one hundred percent. Now, Watari, will you please leave me? I need time to myself, to think. Until then, you are correct. It is time that I meet with the remaining members of the Task Force." L leaned back in the chair, pulling his knees to his chest.

Watari sighed, and grabbed his coat and hat. Putting them on quickly, being sure his face was hidden, he walked out the door, leaving L to his thoughts.

"Light, would you actually do this? The boy that I met thirteen years ago…certainly you wouldn't do this. Light, I'm going to do what I can to prove you innocent, despite all the things that point to you…I will not let your life be ruined." L laid his chin on his knees, slowly closing his eyes. A single tear slipped down his cheek before he raised a delicate hand and with a boney finger, wiped the tear away. "No, I will not let my emotions get the better of me now. I will prove that Light is innocent."

& & & & &

Light took a deep breath and sat him pen down roughly. He could feel the anger slowly edging away and began to think of what he should write to Lawliet. Lawliet was probably worried since he hadn't responded to his message. Not that he blamed him; it wasn't Lawliet's fault after all. Lawliet couldn't help it if his job was in the way…

"So, have you cooled off yet?" Ryuk looked at Light curiously, standing from where he had been sitting on Light's bed. He went over and looked at all the names curiously. "Hehehe…this little outburst might mess things up if you're not careful. You've been killing more people than you would normally. Are you that upset? I think you like Lawliet, more than you think." Ryuk's shoulder shook with laughter at him comment. He knew that Light would be angry.

"Ryuk…I'm giving you one minute to shut up…I'll take all of your apples away from you, I don't care if you have those withdraws." Light glared at Ryuk, watching as Ryuk shuddered at the threat.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll keep quiet for now. Well, until you're not angry anymore." Ryuk turned away and looked out the window. "You think that the Task Force has gotten any news of the FBI agents?"

Light grabbed a blank sheet of paper and a pen, ready to write his reply to Lawliet. He glanced at Ryuk and nodded. "By now, more than likely. The Task Force has probably been reduced greatly due to lack of trust with L. Very few people will trust L now and it will make my job easier." Light chuckled darkly as he began his letter to Lawliet. "And while there are less people on the Task Force, I can still get all of the information from my dad's computer. That will tell me how many are left and maybe I'll get more information on L himself. Though it is unlikely, maybe I'll get L's real name, and when that happens, I will be rid of him for good."

Well, it is short, but that is chapter six. L and Light meet next chapter! Of course, Light won't recognize L, but L will know who Light is. REVIEW PLEASE!! I WILL UPDATE MUCH QUICKER IF THOSE OF YOU WHO ONLY READ REVIEW THIS TIME!!


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you for all of the reviews!

Chapter 7: Meeting

Ryuk couldn't stop laughing. This was great; here L was, sitting right beside Light calmly. He had told Light who he was like it was nothing. He outright had said that he was L. That was amusing enough for Ryuk. What amused Ryuk more than that? It was the letters floating innocently above this L; the letters that only Ryuk could see. Of course, Ryuk would never tell Light what those letters were. L-A-W-L-I-E-T. Ryuk had to wonder if Light would ever realize who L really was. He knew that Light planned to kill L whenever he got the chance. It almost made him feel bad. Light was so very fond of Lawliet. Would this change things if Light realized who L really was? Oh, humans were so very interesting.

Light's eyes were slightly wider than usual. How could this be? For L to just come up and tell him who he was…it was like he had a death wish. How could he know if this was really L? He had to get closer. He had to get confirmation. However, something seemed off. Something about this strange person sitting in beside him; it was familiar. Light thought hard. Did he ever meet this person? No, it wasn't possible. L obviously never showed his face in public, but why would he show up now? Light took a slow deep breath, making it quiet so that L couldn't here the slight shake. L's eyes were on him firmly, curiously.

"That's quite a—" Light was cut off abruptly.

"A joke? No, this is no joke, Light-kun." L pushed his thumb against his bottom lip in thought. "I have no need to be so childish, so this is not a joke."

"I find it hard to believe that you are L. From what I gather, L doesn't show his face in public. I've been paying close attention to the Kira case and he had never showed his face to anyone. So, he's either a coward, or he doesn't show his face to anyone." Light glanced at L. L's eyes were still staring at him, almost like they were testing him. They didn't so much as twitch; he never blinked.

"A coward? No. I simply value my life. If you have followed the Kira case as closely as you say, you should no that Kira cannot kill without a face and a name. I'm taking a risk by showing myself to you." L continued to stare at Light. Light had not changed much in the face since the last time L had seen him. Sure, he was older now, but the face had not changed too much. There was only one thing that bothered him…Light's eyes were different. L could picture clearly those soft, brown eyes that he had seen as a child, but now, Light's eyes were a dark, hardened brown that gave him the appearance of a madman. Something just wasn't right about him.

Light narrowed his eyes at L. It was as if he was taunting him. It was like he was just pointing at him and laughing while saying 'I know that you are Kira'. Light could feel his heart race as everything seemed to disappear around him. All he could see now was L and no one else. It was like no one existed but them, Light and his enemy. The one person who stood in the way of him becoming God…the one thing that stood in the way of him giving Lawliet happiness. He would find a way to get rid of L, even if he had to kill him with his bare hands.

"Well, I guess you're right. It's just hard to believe that the great detective, L, is sitting right here beside me. I didn't mean to offend you, though; it was the impression that I got when you used that criminal as a sacrifice, just so you could narrow down where Kira was. It made you seem like such a coward. It is also hard to believe when I'm leaning more towards the idea that Kira and L were just made up by the police to kill criminals faster without consequence." Light smirked inwardly at his insult. That had to sting a little. He stood as the entrance ceremony ended. He and L could continue this little chat outside.

L looked around as the blossoms fell from the trees. It was a pretty sight, he had to admit. He had always loved the beautiful trees in the summer, right when all of the blossoms were falling off like snow fell from the sky in winter. He noticed the stares that he was receiving. Who could blame them? L's pale skin against the color of the outside world…it was almost a scary sight. It was as if he wasn't human at all. The way he slouched as he walked and the way his black hair and black eyes stood out against his skin…people just couldn't take there eyes off of him. He was such a strange person. L didn't mind though. No, right now, he was with Light. Though Light had no idea who he really was, he was simply happy with seeing him again.

Light scowled slightly. Him and L couldn't talk when everyone's attention was on L. He could feel anger grip at him and felt a growl almost escape him. L's appearance was a strange one, he would admit. His pale skin, the strange way he walked, and the color of his eyes…the eyes were driving him crazy! Something about them…so familiar. Why couldn't he recall where he had seen those eyes? He felt his stomach tighten. He felt angry toward all of those people for looking at L like that. They were looking at him like he was a monster of some sort, and though for Light, that was a true statement, it made him angry that anyone else would think so. L was Light's monster and his alone. L was a monster that Light would defeat one way or another.

& & & & &

Light panted as he swung his racket roughly, hitting the tennis ball back to L with amazing force. L didn't seem fazed and simply hit it back. It continued like this repetitively…back and forth. Light was not going to lose to L. He didn't see how it could prove that he was Kira. A simple tennis match seemed like a way for L to get closer to Light so that they could say they were friends, but in reality, Light knew that it was all an act. L and Light were in a mental battle, even now, waiting to see who would break first, and Light refused to be the one.

L watched as Light moved agilely across the court. The game of tennis would not prove if Light was or was not Kira, however, L knew that Kira was a childish person; not the Light he knew. L narrowed his eyes. He was in this case to catch Kira, but now, it was more personal. Not only would he catch Kira and make sure he got the maximum punishment, he would prove Light innocent, no matter the circumstances. His eyes widened as he saw Light run forward for an attack; L lunged forward, trying to hit the ball, but it bounced below him and went out of play…he had lost.

"Good game, Light-kun." L murmured, panting from the physical effort. It wasn't that he was out of shape, no, not at all. He was not used to using so much energy against a single person. It was…surprising to say the least.

"Thanks, Ryuga, but you almost beat me. You played a good game yourself." Light wiped the sweat off his face and began to put his racket away. He glanced back at L as he walked up behind him, obviously waiting. That was okay though. Light had some questions he wanted to ask L.

"Hey, do you mind if I ask you some questions. I know the perfect place to go where we won't be heard." Light stared at L, waiting for any change in facial expression; there was none. Light supposed he hadn't really expected one.

"Well, you accepted my offer for a tennis match; I suppose I could here your questions. Though, there is something I suppose I should tell you before hand." L watched as Light stopped walking and looked back at him with those eyes. Something in those eyes made L question to himself, what happened to Light? Why were those eyes so hardened and fierce looking? They resembled the eyes of a murderer, but he could still see some of the innocence he had once known. He raised his thumb to his mouth thoughtfully and stared at Light as Light gave him a questioning look.

"What is it you want to tell me?" Light watched as L raised his thumb to his mouth. L was staring at him, once again examining him. No, he was examining his eyes. What was so important about his eyes that L had to keep staring at them? Surely his eyes didn't give away any emotion that he didn't want known.

"I suspect that you are Kira, now, if you still wish to ask me questions, you may." L began to walk once more, but stopped when he heard Light laugh.

"You suspect that I'm Kira?" Light chuckled and stared at L. "I guess this has something to do with those FBI agents that were recently killed, right?"

"Well, when I say that I suspect you, it is only a one percent chance. And yes, it does have to do with the FBI agents. One of them was keeping an eye on your family. Therefore, everyone this single agent was keeping tabs on is a suspect. Your family, excluding your father, and another family; that is what I've narrowed it down to. Of course, the possibility that it was someone outside of these families exists. Kira may simply have been startled to know that the FBI was involved in some way and opted to get rid of them." L watched Light's face closely. Surely, if he was Kira, he would show some sort of human emotion to this. Nothing crossed over Light's face, however, except for curiosity.

"Well, I can see why I'm a suspect then. Though, I can assure you, I'm not Kira and neither is anyone else in my family." Light began to walk once more. "Come on, we'll go somewhere a little more private."

& & & & &

"We can speak here with no interruptions and no one will complain about the way you sit." Light sipped at a cup of coffee that he had ordered.

"I suppose so. I don't sit like this because I want to; I sit like this because if I don't, my reasoning abilities drop by forty percent." L stared at Light as he sipped at his coffee. He just couldn't take his eyes off of him. "There was something that you wanted to ask me about?"

"That can wait until you're sure that I'm not Kira. Why don't you start?" Light sat his cup down and leaned forward, ready to hear everything that L had to say.

"Hmm? Very well. Would you mind if I did a small test of your deduction skills?" L twiddled his toes nervously.

Light seemed surprised. "Sure. Sounds like fun."

"Alright," L reached in his pocket and pulled out three photographs. He held them out towards Light.

Light reached for the photographs, taking them carefully. His fingers softly ran across L's and Light had to be surprised. The skin was so smooth. He noticed the fingers flinch and L yanked his hand away. Light looked up quickly; he swore he saw the remainder of a blush fade away. How strange.

L took a deep breath and laid his hands on his knees. He needed to focus. "These are photographs of notes that were written by prison inmates that we believe were under Kira's control. What do you think of them?"

Light glanced at the photographs. He couldn't focus! His fingers were tingling and he felt his stomach tighten. What was wrong with him?

"Hehehe…is there a problem, Light?" Ryuk chuckled knowingly.

'Damn Shinigami. He's not getting an apple from me for the rest of the week.' Light continued to examine the photographs, L waiting patiently.


	8. Chapter 8

It's been awhile since I've updated…over a year actually. Sorry for the long wait, but I'm gonna force my self to finish all the Death Note stories I have running before I continue another.

Chapter 8:

Light sighed heavily, plopping down on his bed. Today had been anything but ordinary. This wasn't how he planned on finding L; to know that the detective had come out to find him had been wracking his nerves the entire day. To make things worse, during L's test, they had received a call saying that his father had had a heart attack.

Though, in his head, he knew that it was impossible that Kira had done it, he couldn't help but feel a certain nagging feeling when he had heard his mother's frantic voice on the phone. What would he have done if his father died? All his life, he had strived to be just like him; the very thought of losing him made him shudder. But that thought lead to another thing…

Being Kira, he vowed to remove anyone who got in his way. Though L was his main threat, his father was working right alongside him on the taskforce. That potentially made his father an equal threat. If L shared everything he knew with the task force, they would all have to be eliminated. But could he really kill his own father, the very man he always wanted to become?

Light laid back and placed his hands behind his head. Honestly, he didn't feel like writing in the Death Note tonight, but he needed to keep up with the trash of society. He allowed his eyes to slip closed for a moment, before they slowly reopened, a seemingly red gleam to them. Yes, he had to write in the notebook. He had to rid all the injustices of the world.

Ryuk watched, laughing hysterically as Light pulled the notebook out of the drawer and began his usual business. Kira…Light was not Kira. Light knew what was happening, and one day, Ryuk was sure he'd try to fight to be in control again. Light would come to his senses and realize that what he was doing is wrong, but by the, it would be too late. Kira would be in complete control and do away with Light so that there was no nagging, guilty conscience to disturb him from his goal. That was how the notebook worked. Light was possessed.

"What will you do if you start to doubt yourself Light?" Ryuk asked, his voice breaking through Light's crazed writing. Light sat the pen down and turned to Ryuk with curious expression on his face.

"Why would you ask something like that Ryuk? I've told you that no one else can save this rotting world but me. I intend to go through with it and be rid of those who get in my way. Now, answer my question: why bother asking me a question like that?" Light's eyes had narrowed as he spoke and he was almost glaring.

"I'm just curious. What would you do if Lawliet happens to be a criminal of some sort? You said he was an orphan when you met him. You can't deny that orphans are often subject to things crime related." Ryuk laughed again as Light slammed his hands against the desk.

"Shut up! Lawliet would never do something so stupid. Even if he did, I would never do anything to hurt him. I told you before Ryuk; Lawliet is my very motivation." Light took a deep, calming breath and turned back to the Death Note. The damn Shinigami was so annoying, asking pointless questions and riling him up.

"Some God you'd be. You punish all these other criminals, but Lawliet could do anything he wanted and get away with it." Light frowned slightly, thinking over the 'damn Shinigami's' words. "And yet you were just contemplating how willing you'd be to kill your own father. Hardly seems fair that you'd kill someone you personally know before you would kill someone that you meant once. Lawliet doesn't even want to meet with you!"

Light growled quietly and shut the notebook, putting it away in the drawer. "Listen, you damned Shinigami. I don't expect you to understand how human emotions work; I question whether you feel anything at all. Then again, you are a god of death. So, Ryuk, do you feel any emotions?"

Ryuk cocked his head slightly. "What, you mean like love? No, of course not. If we did, it would be a distraction to what we're meant to do. It would be disastrous. Though, I suppose it wouldn't be impossible. There have been Shinigami who seem to take interest in a certain human, but never to the point of love."

"So Shinigami don't even fall for there own kind? What an empty world you must live in." Light smirked at the thought. Shinigami were powerful creatures that could live forever, but what was the point? If they couldn't love or experience any joy in their life, why would they care to live?

"I told you the Shinigami Realm is rotting. We live only because we fear death. Honestly, there've been times that I've nearly refused to write in my notebook so that I'd die, but I begin to think what death would be like. I've killed humans for so long, and it always seems so painful. If I can keep myself from feeling pain like that, I suppose it's worth it." Ryuk laughed quietly. Maybe Shinigami weren't that different from humans after all. To think about committing suicide in a way and then chickening out at the last minute…he'd seen it happen to humans a lot.

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard this all before," Light muttered, grabbing some pajamas out of his drawers. "I'm going to shower, then I'm going to bed. Keep it down and stay out of trouble."

* * *

L sighed quietly, staring at his hand. The feeling of Light's hand touching his own had made his heart pound, but why? He just could not place the feeling in the pit of his stomach. And not knowing something frustrated L to no end.

"Uh, Ryuzaki?" L looked turned to the task force members that surrounded him. They looked confused. "Are you okay?" Matsuda asked, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"I'm fine," he muttered, picking up his plate of cake. It was no business of theirs. He noticed Aizawa narrow his eyes at him suspiciously. "What is it Mr. Aizawa?"

"You've been spacing out since you got back from visiting the chief…or is this about your visit with Light?" L twisted the fork between his fingers, staring at Aizawa with the same blank expression he always had. He would reveal nothing to them.

"I have to ask that you all refrain from asking about my own personal matters. If I were thinking about something related to the Kira case, I assure you, I would share it with you. However, that is not the case. Now, it's late. Why don't you all return home for the night? We will meet again tomorrow." L stood and walked out of the room, putting an end to the conversation.

L sat down on the king sized bed that occupied most of the bedroom. He knew he wouldn't sleep, but it was quiet; just the kind of atmosphere he needed to think. Reluctantly, he allowed his eyes to slip closed. In that short moment, he saw the moments of the past play before his eyes. The short time he had with Light as a child, and he had become the only friend he had. He couldn't imagine that Light could ever kill someone like Kira was.

But the facts said otherwise. It seemed so obvious it was almost unbelievable. In fact, he didn't want to believe it. By taking on this investigation, he was either going to prove Light innocent or guilty. In that sense, he was holding Light's life in his hands.

A thought suddenly struck him. What if there was something wrong with Light in a mentality sense? Perhaps something similar to Multiple Personality Disorder? If there were a problem like that, it would explain everything. He would need to convince him to be tested…no. There was nothing like that wrong with Light. His family would have noticed by now.

L sighed heavily and lay down. He wasn't much for sleep, but he could make an exception. His little power naps could only get him so far. So, he climbed under the covers and closed his eyes. Tomorrow, he would be at it again, but at least he could relax for now. Right now, he could believe that Light was innocent and that Light would never do something so cruel and careless.

After all, ignorance was bliss.


End file.
